These are Powers on Army of bad luck records

These are powers just had this massive record release party at secret project robot, which I unfortunately missed. I think it was like last Friday...I've really been appreciating Terriffic Seasons lately, it really is going exactly where I want this kind of thing to go. They combine the best of everything that I want. The experientalism of High Beams / Racoo-oo-oon /
with the post minimal rock of The Fall or something...or Prinzhorn Dance school...shit what happened to those guys...that was going somewhere really interesting and/or annoying.

These are Powers are just unbelieveable live, like the headlining band that finally goes on after a couple of good acts but they just destroy every thing that came before them. They literally sabotage the other bands because it's so fucking good. It's overwhelming...a real religious experience, the trance drumming and Anna wailing, it's nothing I would ever expect to enjoy so much. It can seem so experimental that I expect it to be work, but I end up enjoying every minute in a really repeatable way.

Army of Bad Luck brought the 7 inches world the SIDS single and Diet Cola, who both pioneered synth punk as far as I'm concerned, they were the precursor to Blank Dogs, Dead Luke etc.
They also really have great sleeve designs and printing...the offset Diet Cola 7" is beautiful...all metallic...a few passes...it's a keeper.

I know I have to have this based on the A-Side, but I'm curious about the creeping nobodies side.
After listening to their myspace...it really fits with where These are Powers are going. They are reminding me of that minimal post punk as well...like Pylon or Love of Diagrams, but working with more polyrhythms...in that experimental way. This might actually be closer to Young Marble Giants then Powers actually...

These are Powers latest full length, is available on SC distro.

Army of Bad Luck says:
These Are Powers / The Creeping Nobodies Split 7" - 2 songs w/cd-r containing "Creeping Powers" mash-up by brenmar. Hand-screened covers. Clear Vinyl. $4.50 + $2 s&h (in u.s.)

That's kind of perfect...the mashup / remix is on the CD-R. That's where they belong...not on the vinyl. I'll probably listen to them and appreciate it, but I'm glad it's not the B-side.

Podcast EP45...

We play Fugazi, the Furniture single...More Matt...Molly brings Fugazi into the mix, I tell my Nodzzz 7" story again. Molly drops a bomb with a discovery of Smiths singles at Permanent records. Matt makes fun of me, I turn his mic off. He calls me a Republican. Good Times. We're far too drunk to make any sense. Matt reminisces about seeing Fugazi, and June of '44. We play Ty Segall's new one from Chocolate Covered. Matt loves the cover and tries to breakdown my obsession with shitgaze. He's the devil's advocate. I try to explain my position, but I have to say, I'm in no state to do so. This does not count.

Pillow Talk on columbus discount

I was listening to what I hope is one of the tracks on this single this morning, 'Mommy be Good', thanks to Donewaiting.com and I almost didn't make it any further.
It's almost insulting how little thought went in to this track. A terrible drum machine, (that in itself is fine) accompanied by a Casio SK1 piano single note melody and a disjointed synth bassline , but the vocals are killing me...just someone yelling, with distortion..not even words just 'bah bah bah bah bah BAH!'. It's making some kind of statement about this genre? I kind of never believe artists who make work making fun of the kind of work they are doing....would you really go this far to prove a point? To critique the re-rise of the synth? I doubt it. I'm sure his and our time could be better spent on something else.
The other track is even worse if that's possible...track 9 from the Grip.

Maybe that's the point? I'm trying to imagine what it might have been like to hear Suicide for the first time, and am I just so jaded by some of the other stuff happening I can't hear this in the right context? I'm giving it too much credit.

Pillow Talk's website is giving me some insight into the sound...it's perfect that it's hosted by geocities...I didn't even know that still existed...pictures of Mcdonalds and metal rockers...mugshots, links that go back on themselves, opening weird windows, radio buttons that don't do anything...it's like the 90's threw up on the screen. But again, even as great as this is on the surface, it doesn't go much deeper than a few clicks and I'm over it.

Apparently this is a side project of Deathly Fighter so this could be some kind of Andy Kaufman alter-ego side project...I keep grasping I know. I haven't given them a listen because I already can't get this hour back I've wasted.

I suppose it fits in with Blank Dogs, Dead Luke, Digital Leather, Cold Cave...the no-wave synth sounds, but with none of the innovation. I think something like this makes those bands just sound even better. Not everyone can just grab some old keyboards and a 4-track and press a 7". You think you can paint a can of campbell's soup, but you can't once you try.

Really it's just shitty...if that's the point then congratulations....great job!

From Columbus Discount records.
PILLOW TALK-Downtown Unga Wunga 7” (Columbus Discount/CDR039) $4.50
“While we working out the details of the upcoming debut LP from Deathly Fighter, the tape of this DF side project struck a chord with us so much that we sent it of to press within the next few days. Dual synths and a hardcore singer warbling with Trashmen ooo-maumau gusto, or better yet, as our own
BJ Holesapple declares: "Suicide if Suicide was Flipper." Six songs and a skit. Edition of 500.”

Young Governor on plastic idol records

This weirdly disturbing sleeve comes courtesy of Ben Cook, one of the/lead guitars that make up the band 'Fucked Up'.
I've been listening to that Whats Your Rupture' latest Year of the Rat 12", and I don't even know where to begin...it's a new direction for hardcore in general that's for sure. It takes some time for me to get past the Mighty Bosstones style vocals...everytime I hear this guy I think of that 'ever have to knock on wood' song...god dammit, now it's stuck in my head. It's that hardcore voice that's been smoking non filters for years, and he's angry, hasn't slept in days, and probably is thirsty. LIstening to it is like someone yelling at you for 15 minutes.
I'm not saying I'm not angry...I have my moments, but I tend to put something else on at the end of the day, call me old.
Young Governor is going somewhere else entirely, this is working with all the garage punk stuff that's been happening lately. Bands like Tyvek, King Khan, Hank IV, Cheap Time. The guitar is the lead...the focal point of the tracks, simplified vocals that just have to sound good hung all over the crunch fast tempo distortion. Kind of a blues distortion..it's almost Shellac in guitar tone on the virginia creeper track, that kind of sound that is so distinctive, really gated, all overdriven, almost turning into it's own unique instrument. It's not a guitar anymore. Combine all this with the garage...short punk where the vocals are just a little distorted, the drums have this perfect room sound that's really deep, maybe eq-ed deeper after the fact...or just boosted to the point of hiting the red. Very reminiscent of Ty Segall's solo release...it's really similar...this Virginia Creeper track anyway.
Mostly it's really illuminating to hear this individual voice from that enigma known as Fucked Up.


YOUNG GOVERNOR is Ben Cook (FUCKED UP, MARVELOUS DARLINGS, NO WARNING, VIOLENT MINDS, etc.), and this is his debut solo record. "Virginia Creeper" and "I'm a Mess" were laid down by the Governor at East End Reclusives, in Toronto, Canada, a dumpy practice space responsible for an impressive amount of recorded work in recent years. Although more pop-infused than the hardcore stylings of Ben's present/past, Young Governor solo is arguably as raw and unpredictable as anything he's done, if not more so. The needle-pegged, hyperactive pop of "Virginia Creeper" and "I'm a Mess" offer a glimpse of the Governor's 2009 agenda, and frankly, teasers don't get any better than this. Pressed on beautiful lavender vinyl with a full-color sleeve (layout by Matt Wong), limited to 750 copies.

It's 5.50 from plastic idol records.

Another single is coming soon on Static shock also...maybe march.

Tunng/Soy Un Cabello Split on Neednowater records

I have to admit it's been a while since I revisited these guys...I just don't think I'm in the right head for their delicate technorganic electronics lately. I haven't been feeling in that sad bastard mood lately...but I'm still keeping tabs on Tunng and will pick something like this up to see where it's going.
I'm not sure if this is a 'remix' of the Soy Un Caballo track or a cover...either way the tunng track will be completely different...I still listen to their bloc party cover every now and then.
Soy un Cabello ..., or I'm a horse is a guy and girl band...I think they primarily sing in French, which makes sense with this kind of broken social scene sound...xylophones...I think it's like also...of Montreal or something...a little electronic, layered vocals, acoustic picking...you'll know if you like it.
They seem to love the vinyl and this also is available on gold and as a double 7"? I'm full of disinformation.


From the label:

1. Robin - Tunng version
2. Robin - Soy un Caballo version

7 inch gold-coloured vinyl - COMING SOON !

They’re one of the most distinctly English-sounding bands around, but the latest single from Tunng sees the London-based band hooking up with some like-minded souls from Belgium, the hotly tipped Soy Un Caballo. Released exclusively on gold 7” vinyl, this extra-special limited single has Tunng’s version of Soy Un Caballo’s Robin on the A-side, with the band’s original version on the flip.

“We met Soy Un Caballo on tour in Belgium and France and ended up drinking wine and swapping numbers,” says Tunng frontman Sam Genders. “We kept in touch and they asked if we'd be up for doing an English version of one of their songs for a seven. I remembered Robin from seeing them play live and it was my favourite.” Sam translated the song from a rough version that the band sent over, then recorded it at Tunng central in London. It’s fascinating to hear the two treatments – Tunng’s typical fireside warmth, and the Belgians’ delicately trippy original. "Beautiful Belgian lush pop, with Robin being 2009's best smoochy song so far. Imagine being the protagnist of a blissful technicolour 60s new wave movie with a beautiful blonde girl shot in Super 8 stock. Er... this could be a perfect soundtrack. Old Pure Groove faves Tunng return to provide a cover on the flip that is also divine." - Pure Groove

Catwalk - Past Afar EP on Yay records

There's nothing like a song that will kind of take me back to summer weekdays hanging out in my attic in my house during high school. Stretching the antenna around the room, out the window trying to get 90.5 'The only station that mattered' in Rochester 60 miles away to come in a little better.
Catwalk is slightly making me nostalgic for that time when I wasn't so aware of everything...anything new was interesting. It was kind of a level playing field. All the bands named at the top of the hour were equally important..I needed to find out everything about every single one.
If one of my friends mentioned them or had a tape in their collection, or I saw an album at the record store, that would be enough, I'd have to get it and really give it a chance.
You are so out of any kind of loop that you're willing to start anywhere.

Catwalk is just pop enough to keep listening to over and over but messing around with different sounds/timing that is so completely inspiring. Partially they make it sound so easy, everyone should pick up an instrument and create something. I guess it has that really honest songwriting, I don't know that it's driven by a trend. It's a little shoegazy.... a little twee maybe? Maybe it's a West Coast response or similar thread of thought that's happening with the Vivian girls etc. Kind of returning to stripped down music...with heavy echo or reverb only. It's kind of late nineties too...like Dump or Eric's Trip.

It reminds me of the numerous bands on the radio every day then... half local bands, or just part of the 'alternative' thing that encompassed everything not on MTV...

There's an insane amount of chorus on these guitars...like the Swirlies...or I'm even getting even a Silent Alliance kind of thing from them, but slower tempo and more of a live feel...or 4 instead of 24-track.

I'm just disappointed I already missed out on their first release...I'm a fan already.

From Yay records: These young popsters are back with another bag full of fun! Get ready for some more sparkly, shimmering guitars and coy harmonies. {Spring 2008}
Side A: "Past Afar" Side
B: "Comely"
"Can't Believe"

I bought this immediately along with the Pam and Teri single:

PAM & TERI - Lucy (YAY!05) Twee twins bringing fabulous fun to YAY! from Fillmore, CA. Simple yet oh-so-sweet, Pam and Teri Gartner sing about their cat Lucy !

Because songs about cats I can completely relate to and am a sucker for, as long as they don't cute it up too much..they're already starting out cute, and I'm on board already...you don't have to sell it too hard or convince me.
Nice label overall.

Silk Flowers on PPM records....Podcast!

So.... this apparently is the sleeve art for the second pressing of this single, the single was a fist through the mask...according to their blog.
I have to say, I'm happy to add each and every band to my google reader rather then get it second hand from some news site that just barfs back every PR release...hear it from the people themselves, every mundane detail. Every limited release.
'Night Shades' starts out sounding a little bit like the soundtrack music they came up with for Steve Zizzou's science films in Life Aquatic..... really upbeat, keyboard...that's it....it's like a little 'free use' or 'copyright free' sounding...repeating, droning beeps in a little melodic scale...like the beginning of stereolab skipping.
It's pretty cleanly recorded, which is always a nice change...not to say you can't do that if you really think it adds to the overall texture of the sound, but there is inevitably going to be an immediate judgement that goes along with it, BE AWARE. None of that baggage here. That being said, there are some pretty weird interesting manipulated sounds...a kind of metal ball bearing bouncing on marble sound, that eventually ends up sounding like a huge sea of Cicada...all happening on top of that slightly cheesy instrumental heavily synthed thing going on. Another track has really high pitch/computer vocals happening on top of the main sung lyric...just plain weird...I don't know where Silk Flowers are coming from exactly...they can't be accused of following along with anyone.
They are playing tomorrow night at the 92nd Street Y, I'm going to see if I have any reason to be down in Tribeca.

SILK FLOWERS
New epic east coasters now fill the seat of "newcomer" to the PPM rodeo show. SILK FLOWERS is the sound you get when you take two friends from the band SOILED MATTRESS AND THE SPRINGS and another friend from CAR CLUTCH and CORPSE KISSER and mix them all up and give a good shake. Sort of borders the line of KRAFTWERK on a four-track meets cough / cool era MISFITS... i know that sounds insane, and it is! Expect new jams coming in February in the form of a 7" and also expect a new full length in the spring time. ART ART AWAY.

$6 From Post Present Medium

Podcast Episode 44 -

Back to Matt and I hanging out...picking up where we left off....
The Matt saga continues...randomly selecting 7 inches out of a pile and making fun of them. We play the new Dave Bazan...everyone hates it. I really try to make a case for him but Matt keeps me honest. It is depressing, I can't lie. Next up Nodzzz 'I don't wanna smoke marijuana', (we like to drink)...Matt approves?!!? Maybe he just likes saying the name. We of course discuss our drug use. It gets ruined by singing. Then the Wicked Awesomes...Matt confuses them with the Wicked Farleys. The cover is wicked awesome. We debate recording processes.
Thank you.

Cold Cave from Hospital Productions - repress

I'm still waiting on the triple split of cold cave / blessure grave / crocodiles on down in the ground records but then I saw Hospital Productions repressed their debut single this time on clear vinyl, now I've been hearing that clear vinyl is the worst quality because of the manufacturing process, but then there's a label issuing all this stuff on clear vinyl...classic jazz etc because of the iron or whatever in the vinyl that magnetizes and somehow degrades the sound? Either way I'm pretty excited to get this on vinyl and not (just) because of the cover.
Cold Cave is really authentically working with kind of an outdated sound and cleanly capturing all the ..well coldness of the sound...I think the B-side 'Always Someone' expands on the pure drum machine / joy division sound with layers and layers of synth loops and distanced vocals...that sounds like they are slowly decaying away...that's a direction I'm interested to hear them take...combine the default machine aspect of the instrumentation and force some humanity into it with some kind of organic decomposition.
The 12" EP threw me with the guy and the girl on the sleeve it looked like some kind of peter bjorn and john thing before I had even heard it, so I kind of looked the other way...that'll teach me...the sound is anything but cute indie pop. It definitely takes me back to discovering killing joke and skinny puppy...that combination of technology and depression that The Smiths were lacking. It just made perfect sense...these instruments were meant to make this noise...you almost can't help but come up with this stuff.

COLD CAVE -painted nails - 7" repress on clear vinyl $8

the first pressing of 500 sold out in 3 weeks via mailorder. this is the second pressing on (clear vinyl) due to overwhelming demand on clear vinyl. i have seen the future, and it's no place for me. this is a special record for hospital. although we have always shared a certain love for trance, power noise, synth pop, and 80's industrial music it is the first time we directly venture into this controversial and rhythmic world. cold cave presents 3 tracks of authentically morose epic anthems with the texture of a shattered champagne glass.
imagine a highly damaged downward spiral era demo hitting the raw nerve to heart where all breaths freeze in rapture and all feelings croak in the blood of the beat-less heart.
clear vinyl repress.

Great pop Supplement - NEW

2 new ones from The Great Pop Supplement...I haven't been able to bring myself to order from them lately..I keep waiting to have one massive order and combine all the shipping into one big shipment I feel ok about...not that everything isn't worth hearing, but with the amount of 7" vinyl being pressed lately from stuff I have to hear...I'm cutting back on those chance things.
These two are a perfect example of the curve balls being thrown by GPS.
Beach Fuzz is really massive feedbacking sine waves ...echo, what sounds like free jazz, psyche..some of these noises might be made with vocals, it's really being manipulated...played if you will. At times sounding like a heavily manipulated voice, or a bent/slide guitar, through a theremin? If you don't get it, it's just going to be insane noise on both sides, noise that you won't be able to identify...it will sound like nothing y0u have ever heard for better or worse.
They are playing all over upstate NY this month and not stepping foot in NYC...what! Are you kidding? Get a show down here already. Oh Wait.... Silentbarn on the 27th...well when you call it ridgewood, I tend to overlook it I don't know where the hell that it. Queens, on the otherhand I can figure out.
I thought I was going a little crazy.

Next single is from the see see, with Pete Greenwood...ok he had a single out a while back on GPS, so I think I know what this is going to be about...sounds about right. Kind of sing songy, like very english pop...classically influenced. Classically like 40 years ago...filtered through some kind of nineties thing...a little indie/country. Like the posies or something. I saw that 'Dig' documentary....it sounds a little like that...kind of non descript historic pop. The other single a few months back i guess sold out in a week or so...this one might be gone as I write this....The exact opposite of Beach Fuzz...but that's why this label is so great...it's not one note, one punchline. I don't know where it's going and I like it.


2 x new GPS 7s to start the year with, both poles apart in must be said- a real case of light and dark / chalk and cheese call it what you will....

first up GPS39 beach fuzz with 2 untitled drone / improv noise pieces. to borrow from elsewhere on the net, this kinda sums up the band better than i could given my lack of preparation in mailout here (dull day spent sleeving so i'll be a magpie on this one:) - "bowed, scraped and intuitively picked lap steel, wailing, echo drenched fuzz synth, percussion and spontaneously composed vocals" numbered pressing of 300 in fliptop style, yearling lined card.

next up is GPS41 the see see "keep your head". following last year's debut on the gps (300 that came and went in 4 days), the band follow that with a 2 trk passing nod to big star, the byrds and the buffalo springifeld. big things expected from this band featuring ex-members of the eighteenth day of may, the soledad brothers and pete greenwood of recent "sirens" heavenly lp and debut on gps fame. the band supported the raconteurs and jack white's rumoured to be a fan, although that and reported nme interest....mmm (that a good thing or not nowadays!?!)

anyway, both singles are £4.49 each (plus post) or:-

£10 for both with post included in the uk.
£11.50 for both elsewhere in the world.

The Soft Pack - Nightlfe on Caspian

This import release of 'Nightlife' on The Caspian Label must be to coincide with their tour over in England...so it's about $9...not too bad if the b-side is unreleased...or new material. Needless to say it's been ordered.
Nightlife was always one of my favorites...especially after visiting LA and seeing them out there, it really fit that landscape. Matt's kind of deadpan delivery kills me everytime. 'Got nowhere to go / nothing to show/ so you're looking for some nightlife....let me go'. Just that age old quest for something better than here...something's got to be out there, let me go find it. I don't know that he ever does...the 2 min song just continues on and on day after day. Work and try to have fun, searching for what? It's endless. Soft pack becomes the nightlife by creating something about the lack of it. It's very Johnathan Richman...simple, classic themes, just a little dark in it's lightness.
The 'hey...hey!' at the end with this messed up synth chord is just this kind of admitting failure, this out of tune...it's time to go back to work.

Tom on termbo posted this info this afternoon, and I'm seriously grateful...I would have missed this completely.

The third Caspian label single is a very exciting addition to the series: For a band whose lineup has only really been cemented this year, The Soft Pack – formerly known as the Muslims – have already accomplished a breathtaking amount. Raised in San Diego but currently based in LA, the quartet, which features Matt Lamkin on vocals, co-founder Matty McLoughlin on guitar, David Lantzman on bass and Brian Hill on drums, create a fresh, razor-sharp, no-frills sound that draws in influences from acts as varied as the Stooges, Jonathan Richman, Wire and The Velvet Underground, resulting in fiercely infectious, stripped-down songs
Nightlife is their debut UK release and comes in the same exquisite white on white 7” sleeve, which is part of the series of 7 introductory caspian singles limited to 500 copies each.

Sacred Bones preorder special editions + podcast Ep 43 (wavvvvvves)

Gary War...I think I already missed his full length that came out on Shdwpy....(actually he just got back to me...the repress is available for $12)...this is mostly in line with the minimal dark low fi synth stuff I've been getting into lately. Dead Luke, SIDS, Blank Dogs...get in line guys...I can't get enough of this goth/synth/psyche avalanche.
They really can't release this stuff fast enough...more limited editions, cassettes that degrade after you play them, recorded over 8 track tapes....it's flying off the shelves.
Gary and Mike Sniper even team up on another soon to be impossible to find project called 'Roman Soldiers'. That's a super group if I ever heard one.
It really sounds like these are all found recordings in some goodwill...someone at sacred bones stumbled on this suitcase full of tapes a few years ago and is slowly going to release them over the next few years.
I would believe that story. There would be no live shows, then someone would try to cover the songs to come up with new material...the mythology would go on forever.

There's a free download of Gary's Album here... but I'll be damned if I can figure out zshare or whatever the fuck, but it's also at Ongakubaka. Email gary directly (gregarywaratgmaildotcom) and get yourself an LP.


From Sacred Bones records
Side A: Zontag
Side B: Don’t Go Out Tonight

Sacred Bones presents the followup release to last year’s New Raytheonport full-length LP on Shdwply Records. Gary War’s keyboard and tape manipulations exist in the loner sphere somewhere between the Legendary Pink Dots’ keyboard driven take on UK psychedelia and current fellow travelers like the Pink Noise. Like the LPD or Ariel Pink (to whom he’s garnered comparisons since the debut LP release) the odd experimental arrangements and off-kilter instrumentation never stray very far from melancholy pop song structures rooted around a catchy hook and melody.

So excited to hear this one...I'm pulling out all ariel pink and Jandek....this is that 70's that I'll pretend existed instead of the shit one that did.

Pink Noise single can be preordered here.

Don't know too much about them, except everything I've been reading was all over Dream Code...thought I'd give this a try...there's two more I didn't know anything about so I let them go...it seems like this past week everyones got a new release from something I want to hear...the 7" economy seems to be doing pretty well.

Limited Edition Screen-printed jacket with tipped-in photograph.
Pink Noise's MySpace
Side A: Gold Light Side
B: Prince Charlies Revenge

Canadian 2-piece The Pink Noise return for their second release on Sacred Bones. Last year’s Dream Code LP ended up topping most people's best of 2008 lists. Electronic and organic drumming with keys with staccato punk guitar blasts--think the Residents played through a Big Muff. A double sider of deranged bedroom punk that shames the dozens of one-man-bands hunched over a Tascam trying to make a cheap knockoff of the original. The record sounds like it was mastered through a boombox onto a thriftstore cassette. The Jerkwave cassette release, the previous 7-inch single, and their track on World’s Lousy (both on Almost Ready Records) are all long gone.


Here's the Wavves set from Underground Lounge as promised. Episode 43. (30min-mp3)
Just a few words...I just had a feeling watching Nathan that this wasn't the usual show of someone with some interesting sounds going on, some flavor of the minute...all hype and no substance....good for a sunday, put it on once in a while (like old skull)...it was a lot more... It could just be that kind of 'don't know any better' genius songwriting, unencumbered by everything going on, when you don't care where it fits into music, you don't care someone else sounds like that, uses that pedal, that your songs all sound the same...but that's what is so great about it. Sure he's young, and that's what makes it even better.

Nodzzz at Underground Lounge 2/8/09

(Photo courtesy of Look at me I made a blog)

I missed both of the shows of Friday and Saturday night, but I wasn't about to let the Sunday afternoon Underground Lounge show slip away. Thank god I looked at toddpnyc one last time before I sat down on the couch, assuming it was at like 8PM like a normal show.
I mean really...who sees a show at 2PM? Who wants a beer and some Nodzzz at 2PM? Well I definitely did and everyone from Columbia did too, (if everyone refers to 20 or 30 people jackass - ed). It was a WBUR sponsored show I assumed from the T's lined up on the table in the back.
When I say 'back' I'm talking about literally 10 feet away from the stage. This was like someone's apartment...not less artists more condos, who have like a fucking entire floor of a building....but a real one bedroom apartment. It's kind of cool because it's like the inside of a brick oven, all curved arches above you.
Once I finally jammed my way into the packed room by default...a few of your good friends and this sucker was packed. Nodzzz and Wavves weren't even visible past the rows of tall bastards, so it was pretty much listening only, but for such a back room of a bar venue, the sound was great. The bands were way turned down, I didn't wish I had earplugs...the guitar amps were in front buffered by a bunch of bodies and then the PA speakers were hanging from the ceiling in the back....real perfection...the vocals were loud and clear from the other direction...pretty nice.

The thing with Nodzzz is their listenability...I like challenging noise as much as the next guy, but there is also music I want to listen to...I don't necessarily want to drive guests/my girlfriend away, something that's going to be good in a few years. That's going to stay good because it's not necessarily in the 60's garage scene, or minimal dark synth scene, or balls out punk. It just sounds honest, it's stripped down but too unaware to be trying too hard.
Any band that I can stand there and smile to myself at how ridiculous 'losing my accent' is, well that doesn't happen everyday. Like the Dead Milkmen, somehow they get away with this geek punk...but that's doing them a disservice...it's punk because it's not trying (?)...oh fuck it....

I appreciate the 'I don't want to smoke...' 7" even more now...that it was sandwiched between two squares of a pizza box.

Here's the Nodzzz set at Underground Lounge. (20Min). One of my best... for an ipod mic.

I think I talked to Eric afterwords, and bought a single he was selling of a friends project...I'll be damned if I can remember the name of it, (brilliant colors...ed) but I'll try to review it next week.
7 inches...making friends...it was a beautiful moment.

In between Nodzzz and Wavves I got to witness a pretty bad ass arguement between some dude from I think what must have been the venue and ToddP. It almost came to blows. I think it started with drink tickets or something, and Todd yelling 'Step back, your making me uncomfortable. If you put your hand on me again I will hit you.' The bartender tried to break it up and I'm going to assume the venue guy was just being a dick. You don't organize 3 billion shows and all of a sudden act like a total asshole.

The Wavves part of this show will be Friday's podcast, it's the worth the few days wait. NYCtaper has all three parts of this trilogy from Market Hotel...great quality.

Kevin Boyer on What's your rupture?

This was emailed by What's your rupture records a few days ago. A Tyvek solo 7" single and a new Fucked Up 12" is available for preorder, put them together, order now.
You know I just noticed this solo project by Kevin from Tyvek is from 2003? Interesting choice...I'm assuming it's very similar to the Tyvek sound, maybe an early incarnation....and it pretty much is ... vocally it's a little smoother, a little sexier...YEA! Lets say clearer. A weird accompanyment to the garage boombox recording sound.
The drum sound is perfect, that low-fi in-the-room sound is so great...the quick side tapping on the rim of the snare but the dirty solos in between the verses makes this amazing... the unbelievable overdrive from the amp, kind of dinosaur jr. crunch. Extend that on a 12 minute track and I'll buy it...oh wait that's Boris. Excellent hook bleeding through the treble heavy scratches.
An Elvis Costello demo. (?)
That guy used to kick ass, I made the mistake of DVR-ing him on Austin City Limits recently...what the fuck happened?

CityCenter says:
Kevin Boyer "Something's Gonna Come Up" Me and Kevin (now frontman for Tyvek recorded this and many other jams in my basement at Wade's house in 2002. It was a cool fun project. A few weeks ago a dude came into my store and was like "I pressed a 45 of that stuff you and Kevin recorded way back. Not sure if it'll ever come out, but I have a test pressing." I remember once in Chicago me and Grace got in a fight because she was ripping on how bad the recording was without knowing I recorded it. WHO'S LAUGHING NOW???? Just playin. I think this song still sounds rad, though, and I hope the 45 sees the light of day sometime.

I think this must be the recording he's referring to in this mix. Don't be so hard on yourself CityCenter, have you heard the rest of his recordings? It might be a choice...or you inadvertently started all of shitgaze. Nice work.
Looks like Rupture picked it up and now you can go order it:

solo recording by Kevin Boyer, singer of tyvek from around 2003.

produced by Fred Thomas with the same blown out production style of his Sat Looks Good To Me and Teach Me Tiger Ypsilanti recordings.

Cover printed to give that classic serigraph look of the potent human or funboy five

Wavves! on Fat Possum

This just in!
Saw the Wavves and Nodzzz at Underground Lounge this weekend...I'm actually working on a review of the Nodzzz, so I can post the audio, which came out great. Wavves was amazing, I know there's a lot of backlash because he's blowing up Vivian Girls style, and that can be annoying but get over it. Are we just going to only talk about bands from the 70's nobody knows about? And god forbid too many people know about a band or they're fucking ruined? Fuck that Wavves is great, see Nathan live, there is something amazing going on there...I'll be the asshole that gives everything a chance, unless it's blatantly derrivitive or sucky.
I have to say that was a great little space at Underground Lounge with the bands amps up front and the PA behind you. It ended up being a nice mix, and it was the afternoon so the crowd was super quiet...all 40 of us jammed into a back room, dead silent...the size of parkside lounge's back space or something.

Anyway, Wavves was selling some kind of tour single, but they sold out by the end of the Underground show and then on Terminal Boredom, Fat Possum announced if you purchase the digital full length self titled then you would get a colored limited copy of the above pictured single.
That's great but I guess who knows if you actually order in time or how it's getting sent etc, so then I found that Floridas Dying had the single for $5, but that sold out before I could finish this post.
Lat chance copies are at Goner ...otherwise take your chances on being the 1st 300 at FP.

Good Luck.
Wavves show coming as Friday's podcast.

The fresh and onlys on Chuffed records

Mike Sniper Endorsed, I think Blank Dogs is actually playing a few shows with them...so I went over to The fresh and onlys myspace to check them out.
It's definitely sounding very 60's, I can imagine a lot of zooming in and out in the video, it's uptempo and there's a lot of lady backing vocals...very zombie-esque
The vocal quality is kind of happy Lou Reed...they might be working in that Velvet area of trying to write a pop song like 'Sunday Morning' and coming out a weird kind of genius. Theres a 4-track version of 'Be my Hooker' that captures the best things about some music around that era. A really loud vocal echo...this could be on the Easy Rider soundtrack. During some kind of trippy campfire freakout scene. Makes perfect sense coming out of San Francisco and that they are playing a lot with thee oh sees, I've been listening to recently.

Imaginary Friends
Our first release is here. A 4 song 7" ep on Kelley Stoltz's Chuffed Records. The songs are Imaginary Friends/Come Dance With Me on the A-Side and Endless Love/Priceless on the B-Side. Only 300 pressed. Write us or chuffedrecords@gmail.com if you want one.
Get Chuffed!

PODCAST episode 42 - Mmmmmmmatt!

Episode 42.
All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys.All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys. All Vern and no 7inches makes Matt and Jay dull boys.

The all Vern (Rumsey of unwound) episode of 7 Inches! We play Red Rumsey, both sides..on troubleman unlimited,...I get a little mad at Vern. Molly comes over. Some Long Hind Legs on punk in my vitamins get played (unwound goes electronic). Sky rockets in flight....afternoon delight. Reminisce. Guess what? We like beer.

Crystal Stilts on Angular records

Glad I randomly checked out Angular records thanks to Norman this morning and saw that this single from Crystal Stilts is due out Monday.

Say whatever you want about the sound being derivative but there's more to these songs...there's always great catchy melodies I want to hear a billion times on top of the ever present echo. There's nothing original on this release (no exclusive tracks or anything) so you really don't have to jump on it, both Departure and Prismatic Room are on the full length from Slumberland, so just go get that. I couldn't resist though, I pretty mush ordered it before I checked. That's how they roll for me right now. Hurry up, get it, it's good.

I heard that their drummer, Frankie is now full time with the Stilts and the Vivian Girls have replaced her with her doppelganger? I was thinking her drumming is such an essential part of that sound, it's really a unique piece of the puzzle, she put a undeniable spin on those tracks....anyone else that comes in is just going to be trying to recreate it. Maybe not, but it would be my fear as a drummer for sure.
I love to hear her stamp on the Stilts as well...that tambourine on a tom drum played at the same time....droning on, that heartbeat for every track. Overall the Stilts picked a very specific framework...a sound that always works....what I wanted every JAMC song to sound like, but then it would just get too uncatchy and I'd skip onto something else.
So they found their strength...that fuzzed out, 60's psyche - shoegaze sound and went all out with it.... then they wrote great tracks...like they are character actors auditioning for a play. Who are you getting? Who cares, they wear sunglasses...well it's good.

Only $8 including overseas shipping...wow I really must have a lot of faith in the post office again for some misguided reason...if there's any god, this will arrive intact from England, even though they live down the street.

Angular says:

Crystal Stilts - Departure

Brooklyn's spectral garage-pop quintet, Crystal Stilts, release their debut UK single through Angular, the first to be taken from forthcoming album ‘Alight of Night’.

Departure is a concise atmospheric echoing masterpiece, but has a pop sensibility that is already grabbing the attention of many people in the UK.

Ltd Edition 7"

Tracklisting:

Crystal Stilts - Departure (ARC043)

7" Vinyl Single

1.		Crystal Stilts - Departure
2.		Crystal Stilts - Prismatic Room

From Norman recs:
Crystal Stilts - 'Departure' (7" on Angular)

I really like Crystal Stilts but have suffered a slight problem with the vocals, as if they're merely incidental and detract from the relative richness & smoky analogue production of their 60's garage/noir-wave. It's not that they're remotely bad, or annoying. I merely wish they had a feisty female vocal to bounce of the slightly blurred sub JAMC/Interpol meandering. Get that Frankie lady who they nicked off Vivian Girls to holler a bit from her drum stool in future? These 2 tracks lifted from their original Slumberland full lengther and licensed to Angular for their 1st official UK release are quite different beasts, the first 'Departure' is fucking excellent, loaded with a shitkicking voodoo thump, a trashed scratchy Rickenbacker guitar squall, a looming bass grumbling away underneath & an overall vibe not unlike early Cure waltzing along a crumbling promenade with Clinic & VU! 'Prismatic Room' sounds like Blue Orchids & The Clean doing a drunken 60's psych cover on mogadon, the shambling tambourine-fuelled mess propped up with a cheeky organ that is both sad & uplifting at the same time, those lovely dying swallow tremolo effects poised for the very best in entertainment. Actually, I just got over my hang-up with the vocals, this is just excellent. SOTW. - Brian xxx

Beyond the Implode - The Atmosphere EP on Siltbreeze

As soon as I saw this on the Siltbreeze blog an immediately ordered it. The things on Siltbreeze are my kind of graduate school... between that and Terminal Boredom...it's a whole era, an underground punk etc time period that I missed. It's like reading the People's History of the US or hearing from the losing side of WWII.
Of course throughout music history there's the usual bands everyone heard of that were marketed with the sole purpose of making someone money...and then there's everything else...

Beyond the Implode, who I just barely scratched the surface of, was a bedroom project from 1979 with:

The original line-up included Eddie Smith on guitar and vocals and Frank Hughes on bass, then expanded to include Ian Gardler (later Wild Weekend, Flesh Impact) on ‘second’ bass and minimalistic electronics, and the latter’s brother, Mike Gardler on lead guitar (who left before their first single came out). This line-up recorded (in Hughes’ and Mike Gardler’s bedroom) the songs that ended up on the band’s first vinyl release, on the band’s own label (Diverse Records), in September 1979.

There were only two singles of 250 copies each that ever existed....and now this one on Siltbreeze.
It sounds like Suicide, tons of echo, inhuman mechanical echo, droning electronics, some kind of Joy Division thing going on as well....I just don't have any idea what this might have been like to hear now...but for me it has the same kind of importance as Suicide. Completely out there, for reasons unknown entirely unique, untouched by an kind of scene...a weird beacon of nothing. But also the most honest, sincere document from 1979.
It's like a mundane photo of your grandparents hanging out on 42nd Street. It's just another day in the world, but at the same time so specific and unlike any other.
I think that's what was happening here a little.

I used to think it was so ridiculous that CBSFM and other radio stations my Dad listened to would play the same hits day after day, the same exact playlist, from the top 20 of the day. I always thought like today, there must be a million bands out there, maybe presing stuff for themselves, maybe only ever playing live...why wouldn't they play any of them? Take a year like 1966 and do some research....what other kind of music was out there, unknown bands with something just as good as the hits. You could spend a lifetime examining the minutae of the decade, the year, drawing new conclusions....but no, you play the same songs that have been played to death. Do the people want it? Or is there no other choice.

Well there is now and it's this Beyond the Implode single.

This is one hell of an essay about DIY vs Punk, the late 70's english DIY weirdo music ...real underground stuff...Beyond the implode is #2.

Go listen to 'Escape thru levitation'

Incredulous as it may seem, Siltbreeze is proud to announce the release of a super limited 7" ep from the legendary Beyond The Implode; 4 tracks recorded (at home) by the band in 1979. Tracks 1 & 3 ('This Atmosphere' & 'Steel Car') were originally issued on the band's 1979 debut ep 'Last Thoughts' while tracks 2 & 4 ('Disperse The Clouds' + 'Mid Ad Version') have remained unheard & unreleased lo these many years. Astute fans will no doubt hear 'Mid Ad Version' & perhaps "see" it as an alternate take on 'Midnight Adventures' (found on Last Thoughts) & if so, count yourselves among the lucky ones. This project was sanctioned by BTI head honcho Eddie Smith who also provided the master tape & as such making this 100% legit, i.e., NOT A BOOTLEG. Released in a one time edition of 300 copies, this ep is solely available from this site; no distro's, mail-order or blackmail. Not yet anyway. Once it's gone, it's gone.
Prices are as follows;
USA-11$ ppd Canada-12$ ppd Europe-13$ ppd Elsewhere-14$ ppd

There is no limit to the number you can order, but there is no discount either. This is it. Paypal to; sltrx@pil.net

Baron and the grebes - You're a horrible person

First of all I want to mention the insane amount of shit that arrived in this package. I was a little worried going through it...a single of course, but there was a suspicious amount of papers and bulging pounches....then this metal wire almost took my eye out...nice touch. My first piece of hate mail? Not quite... eventually I found Robert's note:

Make the tea, add whiskey...I can't argue with that. So there is some tea, mixed in amongst a broken guitar string (which my cat immediately stole and ran off), cassette wrappers, ribbons and packing peanuts, hey you gotta keep the singles safe. It took me back to the days of zines, and the crafty insanity pasted on the covers...the mess of collage on the envelopes. I appreciate the custom homemade touch always.
The vinyl is a nice swirl of purple with black and white streaks throughout. The inner label has what I'm guessing is a grebe (the bird) on the A-side, which features the track 'You're a horrible person'. It starts out promising enough... a lot of distorted power chords, most definitely recorded in some kind of basement/garage. Then a drum machine kicks in. Someone is singing some kind of lyric, but at the same another voice is yelling nonsense on top of it in a high falsetto...that's a new one. I like that idea of these dueling vocalists. One trying to make sense and the other trying to mess it up again. The guitar seems to devolve by the end.... it's definitely not fun music, it's a challenge people. It's crackly and goes right until the very end at 45 speed, just before the needle can't take it anymore.

It sounds a lot like the inside of this envelope:

The B-Side - 'The prophet hooligan' is a little less spastic and more...scratch that very spastic at first, then we get some weird tape manipulation break with spoken word at high speed, a microcasette player on the wrong speed. Then a practice room with a terrible drum machine and a real kit comes in on top of it. Some indecipherable lyrics in off key. I can't imagine how many takes were recorded here, or if it's simply the goal of producing something out of these sessions. Or is it a response to the fuzz-fi shitgaze thats out there...we can do it too!
This eventually fades out, but there's more....a super noise freakout with a hyped up drum machine and maybe guitar...looped.

People have seriously warned me about drinking the tea. I say fuck it, I hope it's laced with something. I'll give it an entirely different review.
Go get it, it's $3 and Robert doesn't believe in trash, so you can count on some of it coming your way...a bonus!

But it's inspiring, I want to press all of my shit onto vinyl someday.
Good on you Boron and the Grebes.

From Boron's myspace: 7" s are $3. contact me at myface, or myspace, or email at elementalboron at yahoo. (help me get a phone number).

Private entertainment on White Denim records

Russain Electronics? I'm tempted to give it an endorsement just based on that. Who doesn't want to know what the hell is happening in the Russian post minimal electro scene...

It's pretty dark, let me tell you. Not Blank Dogs, Dead Luke or Intelligence dark...it's a different kind of depression...a stark, real throwback to another era. An era of a few sounds that were so alien, it was all you needed to build a song around. There's nothing going on, but a robotic melody and two buttons on a drum machine...no tempo control.
Almost faithfully recreating a minimalist scene from the kraftwerk era German pop front. It makes sense that this would be coming out if Russia. I can't get past that. It's about time someone made my romantic vision of Russian indie electronics a reality.
Their cover of 'That's entertainment' is not only appropriate, but just feeding the vision I have in my head of a drug torn, gangster, icy, days of darkness, bleak russia.... siberian russia...north pole russia. These are the last few electronics that still work...it's too cold for anything else. The performers can barely move, it makes the beats/melodies practically hyptnotic...it's so metronome, you can't even hear it anymore.
The vocals are all echo, or a robot swapping back and forth. The sounds themselves are hard...not the upside down 'V' of attack and decay but an upside down 'U'....the sound of nothing and then SOUND.
They would tour with Cold Cave....I bet.

$5 from White Denim..this is a steal considering the miles traveled to get this one made.


Private Entertainment
four tracks 7"
(white denim 2008)

a1. flowers
a2. he's dancing in my belly
b1. the dream
b2. emission

eat skull/ganglians split 7"

That's not the cover to this by any means, it's courtesy google image search, but this split should be amazing. Any single by Eat Skull is definitely worth searching out, and these two tracks I haven't been able to find on anything else so that's extra...I don't need to tell you.
I've been listening to the Ganglians myspace to hear what they are all about. It's a chorus of voices, a lot of echo, some electronics of the messed up cheap variety, or toy pianos. It's far away...a little underwater. A lot of noise and yelling, a garage a thon, sounds recorded live in that way that most live stuff doesn't come close to
Then a song like The Void is really quiet acoustic, a hazy, slow number...there's no stencil sound. Can't wait to hear this.
They have played with Eat Skull, the Hospitals...you name it, they run with the usual suspects and it would be great to catch them live with either.

Eat Skull myspace says:

eat skull/ganglians split available from dulc-i-tone now (not us!!!)

EAT SKULL / GANGLIANS SPLITS FINALLY HERE.

..

Eat Skull does:
Double Wasted
Leave the Universe

Ganglians do:
Lost Words

Some other distro says:
EAT SKULL / GANGLIANS split 7" (Dulc-i-Tone Records TT 011) $4.00 plus shipping
FINALLY! At first listen, you might find this an odd pairing, but soon it will make sense why the 'Skull has taken GANGLIANS on tour multiple times. Deep down beneath the thin layer of nego-scuzz, Eat Skull share's Ganglians knack for great damaged pop. Two songs from Eat Skull's Sick to Death sessions - one a quick punk sprinter, the other a woozy pop epic. Ganglians make their vinyl debut with an undeniable hit in 'Lost Words'. Great stoned-strum-pop goodness.

From yakamishi records (Dulc-i-tone). The paypal plus shipping is a little complicated but basically if you want this single it will run you about 7.50...not bad at all.